Pretty
by Silver Ink
Summary: Ah was pretty. Ah was cool.


Disclaimer-Not mine.  
  
Henri had been watching the crowd for a while now. The ball had started at 7, it was now 8:30. Out of the corner of his eye he sees a flash of green amongst the white. He turned fully and watched with curiosity as Rogue discreetly made her way onto the roof. Wondering what she could be up to he followed. When he got on top of the roof he saw Rogue sitting on the edge looking for all the world like she was going to jump. Alarm and panic shot through him. Just as he was about to do something, she turned around and looked at him. Even from his distance he could she that she had been crying. As if reading thoughts she gave him a sad smile and said  
  
"Don't worry sugah. I could never do that. Just thinking about stuff."  
  
With that she turned and sat fully on the ground, her back against the railing.  
  
"What's wrong, chere?" Henri asked, carefully sitting down in front of her.  
  
For a while she said nothing. Just sat there looking into space. Suddenly she started.  
  
"I was 15 when I went to my first real party. Not a birthday party, or a family party, a real part." She the word real like it was a critical part of his understanding.  
  
"I went with my friends. I wore a short leather shirt, combat boots, a black peasant top, with a mesh top over it, and gloves. Ah looked pretty. Ah looked cool." A single tear escaped its emerald prison.  
  
"Everyone was there. Everyone. Even the boy Ah'd been borderline stalking for the last three years. He kept looking at me. I couldn't believe it. I was so happy. I danced with my friends and I was having a great time. At 'bout 12:30ish I decided to get some air on the deck. Not five minutes after that I heard foot steps and turned around. There was Cody! He was on the football team, so he was wearing his jacket. His friend kept pushing him towards me. Finally he came up to me and asked me if Ah wanted to dance!" her eyes were sparkling as she remembered her past excitement.  
  
"So, we went in and started to dance. I couldn't believe it. Then someone bumped into me and Ah fell. He went to grab my wrist to keep me from fallin. My first thought was 'Om mah god! Cody Backster is touchin' me! Then the weirdest thing happened. Ah started to see me as Cody saw me. I was pretty. Then I remembered that mah sisters birthday was next week and I still needed to get her a birthday present. And I had to take Buddy to the vet on Sunday. And then it hit me. I didn't have a sister and I don't have a dog. I look down and there's Cody, lying unconscious." She could barley get the last part out. Her eyes were overflowing with tears.  
  
"And that's when I stopped feelin' pretty. That's when I stopped being Marie. Until tonight. I was standing in mah room with mah beautiful jade silk dress, and a touch of make-up. Mah hair was up in a bun with my strips curling around mah face. Ah was pretty again. Ah was Marie again." She said this like it had happened a million years ago., not a couple of hours ago.  
  
"So, me and Remy walk in and Ah see all these beautiful women, with their white dresses, beautiful blond hair, blue eyes, and long legs. Instead of being intimidated I felt special. Unique. Me and Remy started dancing and Ah was havin a blast. We decided to take a break and catch out breaths. Remy was looking at me and holding mah hands. Then a women come over and he stops looking at meh. But that's okay, he's only being polite. Then another one comes over and he drops mah hand. Then another one comes over and he askes me to get him some punch. Ah go. When Ah come back, Ah can't even give him his stupid punch cuz he's surrounded. That's when it hits meh. Ah'm not pretty. Ah'm not Marie anymore. Ah'm Rogue and Ah can never go back."  
  
She's stopped crying by now, but her eyes are dull. Henri doesn't know what to say, so they sat in silence, letting the wind dry her tear stained cheeks. After a while she gets up and gives him another sad smile.  
  
"Thanks, Henri. Ah needed that. Go back in there and have a great time. A handsome man like you shouldn't be alone."  
  
And with that she walks away.  
  
He hasn't seen her since.  
  
He was the last person to see her.  
  
Everyone's been looking for her, but they can't find her.  
  
Remy, Kurt, Kitty and Logan have taken it the hardest.  
  
They refuse to give up hope. They refuse to stop looking.  
  
Everyone else thinks she's dead.  
  
But Henri knows.  
  
He knows she's looking for Marie.  
  
Waiting for the chance to be pretty again.  
  
A/N-Don't ask me, and I won't tell you. I have no clue why I wrote this, but I couldn't go to sleep until I did, so talk to my stupid muses! And, don't ask me why its Henri. It just is. Deal with it. And no. No sequels. 


End file.
